Metal prints printed on aluminum ChromaLuxe panels are known for their stunning high gloss mirror shine and vibrant colors. Whether you’re already making metal prints or are just starting out, there are several key considerations to ensure you get the very best results. In this blog, we’ll share the top five ways to make the most out of your metal prints.
Tip #1: Use a Sublimation Printer
To achieve the vibrant and clear results that metal prints are known for, it’s crucial to use a dye sublimation printer with a polyester-coated aluminum panel. While other printing technologies such as UV or latex flatbed printing can be used for metal prints, they don’t offer the same level of vibrance and clarity. Sublimation printing fuses the ink into the surface of the metal, creating a high-end mirror gloss finish.
Tip #2: Use the Smallest Ink Droplet
The mirror gloss finish of metal prints can be both a blessing and a curse. While it looks incredible, it also highlights every dot and imperfection. To minimize this, it’s recommended to use Epson sublimation printers that have ink droplets smaller than five picoliters. Many sublimation printers in the industry are designed for fabric printing and don’t offer a small enough droplet size for metal prints.
Tip #3: Print Unidirectionally
To ensure precision and sharpness in your metal prints, it’s important to print in a unidirectional mode. Unidirectional printing means that the printer only fires ink while the print head is moving in one direction. This slows down the printing process but results in greater clarity and sharpness. With metal prints, where every detail is visible on the glossy surface, clarity is essential.
Tip #4: Use the Best Quality Paper
When printing with small droplet sizes and in a unidirectional mode, it becomes critical to use a transfer paper with a coating that securely holds the ink drops in place without spreading. Most transfer papers in the market are designed for high-speed textile printing and prioritize ink absorption and fast drying. However, for metal prints, it’s recommended to use papers like Epson DS transfer photo paper or SubliPro Vivid transfer paper. These papers may cost slightly more but deliver the best results when paired with metal prints.
Tip #5: Pay Attention to Time, Temperature, and Pressure
The final step in creating metal prints is the transfer process from the paper to the metal. This step requires a quality heat press that can deliver consistent and reliable temperatures and pressures. It’s recommended to press the prints at 400°F with 60 to 70 PSI of pressure for approximately 60 seconds. Dwell time may need to be adjusted depending on the size of the metal panels being used. For larger metal panels, Geo Knight Maxi presses with air automation are ideal to ensure consistent pressure across the surface.
By following these top five tips, you can create gallery-worthy metal prints that are sure to impress. Using a sublimation printer, utilizing the smallest ink droplet, printing unidirectionally, using the best quality paper, and paying attention to time, temperature, and pressure will help you achieve stunning results. If you need further assistance with your metal prints, including troubleshooting heat press settings, trying different papers, or printer profiling, you can reach out to our experts at IT Supplies. If you enjoyed this video and would like to see more content from us, subscribe to our YouTube channel!
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